In a large number of working environments, people use a large number of electronic devices connected to a network to perform the duties of their jobs. Any one person may have several electronic devices located within their personal area network (PAN). For example, these electronic devices may include a computer system, a voice IP telephone and a printer.
Currently, a growing concern of businesses is the increasing cost of power. Often, electronic devices are turned on, and thus consume power, even if they are not in use. For example, an electronic device may remain turned on after business hours, over the weekend or holidays, or in an empty office or cubicle. Often, this is simply due to human forgetfulness. However, the cost of paying for the use of these electronic devices, particularly in large corporations with thousands of electronic devices, can be very high. Presently, this concern is of great importance not only to those footing the bill for the power consumption, but those persons not able to get power due to the consumption of unused electronic devices (e.g., resulting in a blackout).
Often, if an electronic device is not manually powered off or placed in a low power mode, the electronic device will continue to consume power at its typical rate. While, some electronic devices may be programmed to be powered off or placed in a low power mode automatically (e.g., sleep mode of a computer system), there is currently no way to change the power mode of all devices in a PAN based on detected activity or predetermined criteria.
In most situations, electronic devices are coupled to a network through a simple router or hub, and the activity of the electronic device cannot be easily monitored. Furthermore, most electronic devices receive power from an independent power source distinct from the network. As a result, there us currently no way to detect the power usage of electronic devices in a PAN, and to adjust their power mode accordingly.
A need exists for a method and a device thereof for detecting the level of activity of electronic devices in a PAN. A need also exists for a method and a device thereof for automatically turning off the electronic devices or placing the electronic devices in a low power mode when they are not being used or according to predefined criteria. Particularly, a need exists for a method and a device thereof for managing the power mode of electronic devices in a PAN.